Best time to work out: morning or evening?

Are you a morning person or an evening person? When it comes to working out, people have different preferences. While some would not mind waking up at five in the morning to start exercising, some would much rather sleep in and just train after work. For those people uncertain about when to fit in a training session in their busy schedules, here are a few benefits to both morning and evening workouts to help you make your decision.

Benefits of a morning workout:

Stick to schedule

People usually prefer to workout in the morning because it’s easier to stick to that routine. There are less distractions during this time and it frees up your schedule to relax in the evening. You can also be discouraged to exercise after a long day at work.

Healthier start to the day

If you do your workouts early in the morning, the rest of your day is bound to be healthier as well. After finishing a training session, you’re more likely to eat a balanced breakfast and drink more water during the day. Finishing workouts early tends to make you happier as well since you release endorphins during exercise to minimize the discomfort of exercise and generally give you more energy throughout the day.

Optimal for weight loss

Your body’s sugar levels are naturally lower as soon as you wake up so, when you workout, the fat in your body are used as fuel instead.

Avoiding crowds

It’s probably more convenient to go to the gym when there aren’t so many people fighting over the machines. Doing your morning jogs won’t be such a chore either since the sidewalks and parks aren’t as crowded at this time. You can simply go at your own pace and focus on your workout.

Sleep

Anyone will tell you how important sleep is to staying healthy. And according to previous studies, people who were sleep-deprived usually had higher levels of stress and tended to eat more junk food. So knowing that you have a morning workout session could encourage you to sleep earlier and get more hours of shut-eye.

However, if it is not possible to workout in the morning there is no need to worry about missing out on these benefits. That’s because exercising in the evening or night comes with its own set of perks.

Benefits of an evening workout:

Better performance

Those who intend to achieve more in their workouts would find it best to do their sessions during the evening. Your body’s core temperature is usually higher during this time which means your muscles are more flexible allowing you to do more strenuous workouts without such a high risk of injury. After work your heart rate and blood pressure are also at their lowest, making this the optimal time for you to do high intensity exercises.

You’re not a morning person

This one is pretty obvious. We all like our sleep and if you’re type of person that prefers to get a few extra minutes of it in the morning then morning exercise may not be for you.

Stress relief

After a long day of work you just want to not have to think for a couple of hours. Exercise has been proven to be a good method to relieve some stress. So the next time you’re feeling a bit of pressure throughout the day, just run a couple of laps around your neighbourhood or lift some weights.

More exercise services available

There’s just more opportunity for different types of exercise after work. A variety of sports including basketball and soccer are played during weeknights. Some group fitness classes are only available during the evening as well. Those who prefer the gym environment or want some extra motivation from other people tend to do evening workouts.

Ultimately, it’s all on you to decide when you want to work out and if you’re willing to stick with it. It really doesn’t matter if you choose to alternate between morning and evening sessions either just as long as you’re getting a consistent number of training sessions per week to lead a healthier lifestyle. If you’re interested in learning more exercise tips or anything fitness related, contact us today.